4 Reasons You Should Avoid Buying Ancient Artifacts

June 5, 2018

People who travel to various places, often find ancient artifacts for sale at multiple stores. They might think of such pieces to be authentic. However, one cannot just jump to a conclusion of such an item being a genuine one just because the shopkeeper says so. Even if one approaches a professional archaeologist to learn about the authenticity of such artifacts, he or she will never get any information from such an expert. Archeologists would never suggest you buy these pieces, and there are many reasons for it. This post will discuss some of them to help you avoid buying such ancient artifacts in the first place.

The object is a fake

As mentioned above, it is most likely that the item you purchased is not an authentic artifact. You can find many counterfeit items around the world that people create as replicas of the original one. Not to mention, even the ancient civilizations were trying to copy each other's sculptures. Thus, there is a high probability that you just found a fake one yourself. Many countries avoid this confusion by instructing sellers to label such items as counterfeit in advance so that they do not exploit tourists.

It may be illegal

Even if the artifact is authentic, you must still avoid purchasing, as it may be illegal to purchase such antiquities. You may think of bringing that item back to your home country after your vacation tour. The chances are that you may end up breaking the law, and you can face the consequences of your action. Abusing cultural heritage is banned in many countries. Thus, avoid such a trade if you have no clue of its legality.

It destroys the archeological sites

When you tend to purchase such artifacts, you are promoting their demand in a way. This activity encourages exploiters to dig more such ancient items and sculptures from archeological sites illegally. Therefore, they destroy such places to make some money. Excavating such sites only lowers their value and destroys its significance. Hence, you should avoid promoting such looters by buying these items. You can also learn about Alien Artifacts Found In Mexico.

You cannot give it to the museum either

If you are thinking of donating it at a museum, it is likely that it will not accept it. You may have seen in Indiana Jones movies that such antiques have a place in such a gallery and that you can acquire tax benefits from such items. However, museums have altered their rules for what they can and can't acknowledge. The J. Paul Getty Museum is the most prominent historical center to experience harsh criticism for obtaining objects, which did not have a substantial historical significance.

Thus, you can see that such historical artifacts do not have any significance anymore if you plan to purchase them. Instead of avoiding any conflicts or contributing to the demise of an ancient culture, it is prudent that you stay away from such items. After all, you should never indulge in activities that you do not understand.

She earned her Masters in Applied Social Research at Ateneo de Davao University. She's a hard-core pluralist, an eternal optimist, a 40ish realist and a frustrated florist. She’s a mother, a teacher, a dreamer and who knows one day a potter.